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Queensland Poetry Awards prize money increases

Queensland Writers Centre logo Tuesday, 19 August 2025
The Queensland Writers Centre has announced increases in the value of its Queensland Poetry Awards, which has opened for entries this week. Award categories and their first-place cash prizes are:...

Dymocks Giving Day date, program announced

Tuesday, 19 August 2025
Dymocks has announced its 2025 Giving Day will take place on 21 August. Free in-store events will occur in Dymocks stores around the country, including Matt Cosgrove leading a storytime...

Global Book Crawl 2026 dates released

logo for Global Book Crawl Tuesday, 19 August 2025
The 2026 Global Book Crawl (GBC) will take place on April 20–26. GBC is ‘a worldwide celebration of local (indie, bricks and mortar) bookshops and those who love them,’ said...

HQ acquires Inoon’s second novel

Tuesday, 19 August 2025
Harlequin Australia (HQ), a division of HarperCollins, has acquired world rights to The Sisters of Serendib by Ayesha Inoon, via Rochelle Fernandez at Alex Adsett Literary. ‘In 1990, a boat...

HarperCollins acquires debut novel from White

Tuesday, 19 August 2025
HarperCollins has acquired ANZ rights to Billie King, Outlaw, the debut novel by Shannon Kelly White, in a two-book deal via Anjanette Fennell at Key People Literary Management. Billie King,...

Ned Kelly Awards 2025 shortlists announced

Australian Crime Writing Association Ned Kelly Monday, 18 August 2025
The Australian Crime Writers Association has announced the 2025 Ned Kelly Awards shortlists. The shortlisted titles are: Best crime fiction 17 Years Later (JP Pomare, Hachette) Cold Truth (Ashley Kalagian...

Pikihuia Awards finalists announced

Pikihuia Awards logo Monday, 18 August 2025
The Māori Literature Trust Te Waka Taki Kōrero has announced the finalists for the biennial Pikihuia Awards, now in their 30th year.  The finalists in each category are: Poetry (te...

NSW History Awards 2025 shortlists announced

Monday, 18 August 2025
The State Library of NSW (SLNSW) has announced the shortlists for the 2025 NSW History Awards, worth a total of $85,000 in prize money. The shortlisted titles of each category...

Larrikin acquires Harry’s ‘The Fast Lane’

Monday, 18 August 2025
Larrikin House has acquired world rights to The Fast Lane, a picture book written by Pip Harry and illustrated by Katrin Dreiling. According to the publisher, The Fast Lane is ‘charming, funny...

Bendigo Writers Festival 2025 closes without ceremony

Bendigo Writers Festival Monday, 18 August 2025
Bendigo Writers Festival cancelled its closing night ceremony on Sunday evening, along with more than twenty other sessions over the course of the festival weekend, which ran 15–18 August. The...

A&U acquires Katz’s memoir

Monday, 18 August 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world English rights to My Cursed Vagina, a memoir by Lally Katz, via Wendy Howell and Lucy White from Creative Representation. The memoir follows...

Vale David Stratton

Friday, 15 August 2025
Author and film critic David Stratton has died, aged 85. Allen & Unwin writes: Allen & Unwin is deeply saddened by the loss of Australia’s beloved film critic, David Stratton...

Brisbane Writers Festival releases 2025 program

Brisbane Writers Festival 2025 logo Friday, 15 August 2025
Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) has launched the full program for its 2025 festival, to be held at the new venue of Brisbane Powerhouse 9–12 October. The program includes over 100 events and features...

CBCA Book of the Year Award winners

Friday, 15 August 2025
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced the winners for the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. The CBCA shadow judging winners – titles chosen by 400...

ALIA announces Australian School Library Day theme 

Australian School Library Day 2025 Thursday, 14 August 2025
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has announced ‘All the Literacies’ as the 2025 theme for Australian School Library Day (ASLD). ASLD, which in 2025 takes place on 20...

Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day program

Thursday, 14 August 2025
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the NZ Book Awards Trust has announced the program for the Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day. Among the events around the country, Invercargill Public Library will...

UQP acquires Rocca’s middle-grade novel

A portrait of Allison Rocca Thursday, 14 August 2025
UQP has acquired world rights to the debut middle-grade novel Joey and the Junjardy written by Allison Rocca and illustrated by Brenton E McKenna, in a deal brokered by Danielle...

Write Around the Murray 2025 program

Thursday, 14 August 2025
The Write Around the Murray (WAM) festival, running 10–14 September in Albury City, has announced its 2025 program. Among the headliners attending the event are journalist, social commentator and writer...

Christmas Press acquires Kelleher middle-grade

A portrait of Victor Kelleher Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Christmas Press imprint Eagle Books has acquired world rights to Only the Wild, an upper middle-grade/YA novel by Victor Kelleher, via Margaret Connolly of Margaret Connolly and Associates. Christmas Press...

Red Room Poetry announces 2025 youth ambassadors

Red Room Poetry logo Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Red Room Poetry has announced the 2025 participants in its Red Room Poetry Youth Ambassadors program. The 2025 ambassadors are: Rataj Abdullah (regional NSW) Charlee Brooks (Vic) Maggie Knight-Williams (ACT)...

Promotions, moves at S&S 

Simon & Schuster logo Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has announced staffing changes, alongside news that the Affirm Press team will move to the S&S Melbourne offices. S&S marketing and publicity director Fleur Hamilton...

S&S announces new dedicated children’s team 

Simon & Schuster logo Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has announced the formation of a ‘dedicated team focused on publishing, product, sales, marketing and publicity for children’s books’. Under S&S children's publishing director Tash...

Books pitched at MIFF 2025 

Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Six titles were selected for pitching at the 37ºSouth Market’s Books at MIFF program, which promotes books to potential screen rights buyers at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). The...

Newman to step down from Dymocks CEO role 

Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Dymocks has announced that Mark Newman will step down from his role as CEO of Dymocks Retail, after five years of leadership. Newman was appointed as Dymocks managing director in...

Hachette acquires Grieve’s ‘Duty to Warn’

Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Hachette Australia has acquired world English rights for Duty to Warn, a memoir by Charlotte Grieve, who was a named defendant in the Al Muderis v Nine Network defamation trial,...